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The Foreworld Saga #1
The Mongoliad: Book One
The first novel to be released in The Foreworld Saga, The Mongoliad: Book One, is an epic-within-an-epic, taking place in 13th century. In it, a small band of warriors and mystics raise their swords to save Europe from a bloodthirsty Mongol invasion. Inspired by their leader (an elder of an order of warrior monks), they embark on a perilous journey and uncover the history of hidden knowledge and conflict among powerful secret societies that had been shaping world events for millennia.
But the saga reaches the modern world via a circuitous route. In the late 19th century, Sir Richard F. Burton, an expert on exotic languages and historical swordsmanship, is approached by a mysterious group of English martial arts aficionados about translating a collection of long-lost manuscripts. Burton dies before his work is finished, and his efforts were thought lost until recently rediscovered by a team of amateur archaeologists in the ruins of a mansion in Trieste, Italy. From this collection of arcana, the incredible tale of The Mongoliad was recreated.
Full of high adventure, unforgettable characters, and unflinching battle scenes, The Mongoliad ignites a dangerous quest where willpower and blades are tested and the scope of world-building is redefined.
A note on this edition: The Mongoliad began as a social media experiment, combining serial story-telling with a unique level of interaction between authors and audience during the creative process. Since its original iteration, The Mongoliad has been restructured, edited, and rewritten under the supervision of its authors to create a more cohesive reading experience and will be published as a trilogy of novels. This edition is the definitive edition and is the authors' preferred text.
Reviews:
“This off-beat alternate history of Eurasia could be your new obsession.” –i09.com
“This story is pure adventure, with much swordplay and swashbuckling.” –Kirkus Reviews
“A terrifically engaging book that pulled me along at least as quickly as The Hunger Games. Think Lord of the Rings without all that pesky fantasy…Five frighteningly accurate historical sword fights out of five.” –Fanboy Comics
But the saga reaches the modern world via a circuitous route. In the late 19th century, Sir Richard F. Burton, an expert on exotic languages and historical swordsmanship, is approached by a mysterious group of English martial arts aficionados about translating a collection of long-lost manuscripts. Burton dies before his work is finished, and his efforts were thought lost until recently rediscovered by a team of amateur archaeologists in the ruins of a mansion in Trieste, Italy. From this collection of arcana, the incredible tale of The Mongoliad was recreated.
Full of high adventure, unforgettable characters, and unflinching battle scenes, The Mongoliad ignites a dangerous quest where willpower and blades are tested and the scope of world-building is redefined.
A note on this edition: The Mongoliad began as a social media experiment, combining serial story-telling with a unique level of interaction between authors and audience during the creative process. Since its original iteration, The Mongoliad has been restructured, edited, and rewritten under the supervision of its authors to create a more cohesive reading experience and will be published as a trilogy of novels. This edition is the definitive edition and is the authors' preferred text.
Reviews:
“This off-beat alternate history of Eurasia could be your new obsession.” –i09.com
“This story is pure adventure, with much swordplay and swashbuckling.” –Kirkus Reviews
“A terrifically engaging book that pulled me along at least as quickly as The Hunger Games. Think Lord of the Rings without all that pesky fantasy…Five frighteningly accurate historical sword fights out of five.” –Fanboy Comics
490 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2012
1360 people are currently reading
6870 people want to read
About the author
Neal Stephenson
86 books28.8k followersNeal Stephenson is the author of Reamde, Anathem, and the three-volume historical epic the Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World), as well as Cryptonomicon, The Diamond Age, Snow Crash, and Zodiac. He lives in Seattle, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 774 reviews
June 18, 2012
I'm bailing. In fact, I'm trading this book in for something better, like a Harlequin Historical or some hinky paranormal romance, which will probably be more believable and contain more acute, intelligent characterization than Mongoliad. Gack. This clunky mess almost killed my love for Neal Stephenson and thus I am stopping before it succeeds. I did, however, learn something from this fiasco: books should not be written by committees of weapons nerds.
June 4, 2012
Maybe it was a case of too many cooks...I don't know. It took seven people to write this thing?
Seriously?
How does that even work?
I'm envisioning authors huddled around someone's kitchen table, rolling a 20-sided die to determine the next plot twist.
It's certainly not a bad book. The action and bloody violence will keep you turning the pages. But, the whole thing turns out to be an oddly emotionless experience. I can't say the characters are cardboard, as that would imply they have two dimensions.
On the plus side...
The two female characters are not just eye candy. They're more like eye vegetables. Sturdy, healthy, and nourishing, these gals are given things to do, though I have a sinking feeling their ultimate purposes will be to end up as bedmates for the big boys.
And, the authors did not skimp on the comic relief. There are occasional chuckles to keep this from being just a slog through the mud and blood. My favorite scene?
Hoping to get a priest to write a letter for him, one of the monguls has entered a Catholic church.
...and so he stood there quietly and waited until the head priest stopped chanting and began handing out food and drink to the assortment of wretches who had been kneeling and waiting. The amount of food given out seemed extremely small and scarely worth the trouble. Moreover, the priest laid it directly onto the congregants' tongues, apparently to make sure they didn't grab too much of it.
Not bad, huh?
Be warned - this is part one of a trilogy, and the book leaves you hanging more than the end of "The Empire Strikes Back".
Will I read the next two books? Probably. That's just the way I am.
Seriously?
How does that even work?
I'm envisioning authors huddled around someone's kitchen table, rolling a 20-sided die to determine the next plot twist.
It's certainly not a bad book. The action and bloody violence will keep you turning the pages. But, the whole thing turns out to be an oddly emotionless experience. I can't say the characters are cardboard, as that would imply they have two dimensions.
On the plus side...
The two female characters are not just eye candy. They're more like eye vegetables. Sturdy, healthy, and nourishing, these gals are given things to do, though I have a sinking feeling their ultimate purposes will be to end up as bedmates for the big boys.
And, the authors did not skimp on the comic relief. There are occasional chuckles to keep this from being just a slog through the mud and blood. My favorite scene?
Hoping to get a priest to write a letter for him, one of the monguls has entered a Catholic church.
...and so he stood there quietly and waited until the head priest stopped chanting and began handing out food and drink to the assortment of wretches who had been kneeling and waiting. The amount of food given out seemed extremely small and scarely worth the trouble. Moreover, the priest laid it directly onto the congregants' tongues, apparently to make sure they didn't grab too much of it.
Not bad, huh?
Be warned - this is part one of a trilogy, and the book leaves you hanging more than the end of "The Empire Strikes Back".
Will I read the next two books? Probably. That's just the way I am.
October 27, 2015
The Mongoliad is apparently an attempt to answer the question of why the Mongol hordes stopped their sweeping invasion across Europe. An epic tale of historical fiction told as two parallel stories. The first follows a group of knights, a fairly rag-taggle mixture of knights from different countries - many not even speaking a common tongue - but united under their common purpose as the Ordo Militum Vindicis Intactae. Not always a Christian order, but now appearing keen to at least appear part of the Christian faith, even if parts of the order still cling to some of the older ways. They are joined by Cnán, a Binder (does anyone have any idea what a Binder is?) who acts both as their guide and as our view into the group. As an outsider she is curious about the order and it's behaviours and that curiosity provides a useful tool to allow us to explore that same curiosity.
The second story is told from the Mongol palace of Karakorum, where Ögedei, the Khagan and son of Gengis Khan, sits in power over the whole Mongol empire. When he's not drinking himself into a stupor. In a device than mirrors Cnán, the palace is joined by a young Mongol, Gansukh, sent to court by the Khagan's brother to watch over the Khagan and try and curb his drinking. Again, as an outsider, we're allowed to use his inexperience to understand the workings of the Mongol court as well as the characters, their histories and all the political interplay.
Each chapter alternates between the two stories; within each chapter the story moves convincingly from one character to another. I assume that of the half a dozen or so authors, each tended to write a single character. This works very well as each character presents a believable and consistent personality through out the story.
Growing out of a group of authors who started to learn western martial arts together - smashing the shit out of each other with swords - I guess it was never likely that a book wouldn't be too far behind. Instead, they went a step further and wrote the book together online. Fans could sign up at the website and for a small subscription they could preview the chapters and supporting material as they were updated - an example of the Kickstarter idea in action, but this way supporters get early access to the book itself.
If there's one thing a book of this sweeping epic magnitude really needs it's maps! Maps! Maps! Maps! Characters are moving across Europe, and referencing places even further afield, but honestly without a detailed understanding of the geography and history of the time it gets confusing. Very confusing. Very quickly. I can't see any reason for the lack of inclusion of maps in the Kindle edition - there are maps on the website and I assume they are in the paperback edition, leaving only the Kindle edition appearing to be a rush-job.
The other problem the book has is that it doesn't end. Well, the book ends, obviously, but the story doesn't - a style of writing that I've found increasingly annoying with George R.R. Martin's mammoth series A Song of Ice and Fire, where the story just stops, ready to be picked up again in the next book. Didn't book series used to be stories within a larger story? Each book capable of standing on its own but designed to be read within the wider context. Now it seems that series are just not possible to dip in to, you have to read from the start (and hope that your author doesn't wait a couple of years before delivering the next - yes, I'm looking at you George). Each book is now just a very big chapter in the even larger novel. It seems so frustrating...
The second story is told from the Mongol palace of Karakorum, where Ögedei, the Khagan and son of Gengis Khan, sits in power over the whole Mongol empire. When he's not drinking himself into a stupor. In a device than mirrors Cnán, the palace is joined by a young Mongol, Gansukh, sent to court by the Khagan's brother to watch over the Khagan and try and curb his drinking. Again, as an outsider, we're allowed to use his inexperience to understand the workings of the Mongol court as well as the characters, their histories and all the political interplay.
Each chapter alternates between the two stories; within each chapter the story moves convincingly from one character to another. I assume that of the half a dozen or so authors, each tended to write a single character. This works very well as each character presents a believable and consistent personality through out the story.
Growing out of a group of authors who started to learn western martial arts together - smashing the shit out of each other with swords - I guess it was never likely that a book wouldn't be too far behind. Instead, they went a step further and wrote the book together online. Fans could sign up at the website and for a small subscription they could preview the chapters and supporting material as they were updated - an example of the Kickstarter idea in action, but this way supporters get early access to the book itself.
If there's one thing a book of this sweeping epic magnitude really needs it's maps! Maps! Maps! Maps! Characters are moving across Europe, and referencing places even further afield, but honestly without a detailed understanding of the geography and history of the time it gets confusing. Very confusing. Very quickly. I can't see any reason for the lack of inclusion of maps in the Kindle edition - there are maps on the website and I assume they are in the paperback edition, leaving only the Kindle edition appearing to be a rush-job.
The other problem the book has is that it doesn't end. Well, the book ends, obviously, but the story doesn't - a style of writing that I've found increasingly annoying with George R.R. Martin's mammoth series A Song of Ice and Fire, where the story just stops, ready to be picked up again in the next book. Didn't book series used to be stories within a larger story? Each book capable of standing on its own but designed to be read within the wider context. Now it seems that series are just not possible to dip in to, you have to read from the start (and hope that your author doesn't wait a couple of years before delivering the next - yes, I'm looking at you George). Each book is now just a very big chapter in the even larger novel. It seems so frustrating...
April 23, 2015
If "Reamde" was Stephenson's "most accessible book" -- which I took to mean that his editors demanded he write a "popular" book -- then "Mongoliad" returns to Stephenson's usual manner of writing books that are challenging for the reader. To put it mildly.
If "Anathem" was intellectually challenging in its intellectual exploration of multiverses, then "Mongoliad" is challenging in its gut-wrenching, emotional depictions of the world in which it takes place.
This world would be eastern Europe, on the boundary of the Mongol invasions under Ghengis Khan, during the late 1200's.
Through highly vivid descriptions of the ravaged peoples who have (thus far) survived the Mongol invasions we meet an ambiguous young woman who may herself be Mongol, and who joins up with a band of Knights -- not Christian Knights, but Knights who practice much more ancient belief and knowledge systems than the upstart Christianity.
A parallel plot takes us within the Mongol empire itself, where we see the world of the 1200's from an opposite direction.
About 40% through. Loving every minute of "Mongoliad".
****
Finished "Mongoliad" (book one) last night. Wow. Certainly this book sets up for the next in the series, which is fine, but the second book isn't out for at least a month, which is less fine :-/
This dilemma then begs the question as to whether one waits, or pays for a membership at http://mongoliad.com/ and keeps reading, now. The membership is $50.00, "lifetime".
Anyway, "Mongoliad" is excellent, and I can't wait to continue, one way or another.
If "Anathem" was intellectually challenging in its intellectual exploration of multiverses, then "Mongoliad" is challenging in its gut-wrenching, emotional depictions of the world in which it takes place.
This world would be eastern Europe, on the boundary of the Mongol invasions under Ghengis Khan, during the late 1200's.
Through highly vivid descriptions of the ravaged peoples who have (thus far) survived the Mongol invasions we meet an ambiguous young woman who may herself be Mongol, and who joins up with a band of Knights -- not Christian Knights, but Knights who practice much more ancient belief and knowledge systems than the upstart Christianity.
A parallel plot takes us within the Mongol empire itself, where we see the world of the 1200's from an opposite direction.
About 40% through. Loving every minute of "Mongoliad".
****
Finished "Mongoliad" (book one) last night. Wow. Certainly this book sets up for the next in the series, which is fine, but the second book isn't out for at least a month, which is less fine :-/
This dilemma then begs the question as to whether one waits, or pays for a membership at http://mongoliad.com/ and keeps reading, now. The membership is $50.00, "lifetime".
Anyway, "Mongoliad" is excellent, and I can't wait to continue, one way or another.
September 10, 2012
A fun book about manly medieval men hitting each other with swords. Setting it in Mongol territory means that pretty much any manly man in Eurasia can turn up and hit someone with a sword. It's almost like one of those "greatest warrior" TV shows -- can a Samurai beat a Crusader? Can a Magyar take down a Teutonic Knight? This isn't a criticism; the authors obviously picked a time and place when they could have fun with swordfighting heroes.
The characters are a mixed bag. I found the Mongol warrior trying to navigate the social currents of Ogadai Khan's court at Karakorum a very interesting and sympathetic person, but I confess most of the European Shield-Brethren who are ostensibly the heroes wound up kind of blurring together. There's a warrior woman (called a "binder," which I don't recall being explained) who seems to be there because she's the dungeon master's girlfriend or something.
This all may sound snarkier than I intend: it's a fun book and I'm eager to see where Book Two takes the story.
The characters are a mixed bag. I found the Mongol warrior trying to navigate the social currents of Ogadai Khan's court at Karakorum a very interesting and sympathetic person, but I confess most of the European Shield-Brethren who are ostensibly the heroes wound up kind of blurring together. There's a warrior woman (called a "binder," which I don't recall being explained) who seems to be there because she's the dungeon master's girlfriend or something.
This all may sound snarkier than I intend: it's a fun book and I'm eager to see where Book Two takes the story.
July 24, 2012
I was prepared to give this book a begrudging 3 stars, followed by plenty of disclaimers in the review here. The book is full of the sloppiest sort of overwriting: meandering conversations, telling instead of showing, overwrought descriptions of scenery. It's a struggle to care about any of the characters. The authors clearly had a greater interest in the minutiae of history and the technical details of swordfighting than they did in telling an interesting story about compelling people.
And then it ended in the middle of a scene.
I understand it's "Book One" of a larger series, but in those circumstances you typically end with a cliffhanger. You end with some compelling reason to pick up the next book and keep going. But when the book ends with one group of protagonists split in two, lost in underground catacombs but not in immediate danger, and with another group a thousand miles away, also not in immediate danger, that's not a cliffhanger. That's the author giving me permission to stop reading. So I did.
And then it ended in the middle of a scene.
I understand it's "Book One" of a larger series, but in those circumstances you typically end with a cliffhanger. You end with some compelling reason to pick up the next book and keep going. But when the book ends with one group of protagonists split in two, lost in underground catacombs but not in immediate danger, and with another group a thousand miles away, also not in immediate danger, that's not a cliffhanger. That's the author giving me permission to stop reading. So I did.
October 7, 2012
In the interest of being a Neal Stephenson completist, I had to read this.
However, I had doubts about the whole novel-by-committee concept and, sadly, I felt that those doubts were justified.
The concept of the novel was good - it's got an interesting historical setting, a good mix of different types of characters, some action, some drama... I'm sure it all looked very good on paper. And, it's not actually bad. It's just not great.
The characters never fully come to life - I felt like they'd work in a movie, but a novel really requires more depth.
The transitions between chapters felt a little disjointed,as well.
I'm not saying I won't read the next volume... but I'm not making it a priority. Stephenson-managing-a-group is not as good as Stephenson-on-his-own.
However, I had doubts about the whole novel-by-committee concept and, sadly, I felt that those doubts were justified.
The concept of the novel was good - it's got an interesting historical setting, a good mix of different types of characters, some action, some drama... I'm sure it all looked very good on paper. And, it's not actually bad. It's just not great.
The characters never fully come to life - I felt like they'd work in a movie, but a novel really requires more depth.
The transitions between chapters felt a little disjointed,as well.
I'm not saying I won't read the next volume... but I'm not making it a priority. Stephenson-managing-a-group is not as good as Stephenson-on-his-own.
April 12, 2015
Cnan is hardy and crafty, a trail scout and a 'Binder' (what this means not explained in the text). She is on the side of the knights of Christendom.
Another protagonist, and on the Mongols' side, is Gansukh, a young horseman of the steppes who is sent to tell the Khagan, one of the sons of Genghis Khan, to curb his drinking. He is too naive to realize what a dangerous task this could be.
Soon you are well into a stewpot of strange names and outlandish customs, guttural umlauts and other accents. Bows, blades, spears--this is a great milieu.
Yay, it's the knights of Christendom agin the Mongols.
There is a density to it all, a sense of things worked out. It's consistent with itself, even if you are hardly told enough to make you understand. In this way it borrows some of the authority of deep works of learning.
The trouble is, it took a half-dozen scribes to write the book, and it seems meandering, without a real shape. There are marvellous things in it--hair-raising, detailed fight scenes, for example. If only one author had been credited, would I have thought the book had been created by a committee?
Also, there are too many characters, too many names. Not enough clues (e.g. red hair) to distinguish one from the other.
You have to let the tale rush you along, no matter if you are confused with the large cast of characters.
You get the picture? Epic, man--this unspools in your head like the longest TV miniseries.
Twenty screens in on the Kindle and I knew I would be clinging tight until the finish.
It must be epic: after all, it took all those scribes to write it. I bought the book because the price was right and the size was generous, but I am too confused to go on and read any of the other parts.
November 12, 2015
Immensely disappointing, slow, and disjointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2015
This is a really tough one to review. Mongoliad is a serial novel which was produced interactively as part of a transmedia franchise. According to the website, it's "sort of the thing that Charles Dickens wrote, but with a decidedly 21st century twist", emphasizing the role of social media and community resources in the project's idea and creation.
I have to say the serialized format and the multiple authors both facilitated and hindered my enjoyment. Not surprisingly, the novel did not always feel cohesive. There are sections of the novel that are beautifully written, paid attention to character development, etc. and those were the sections I found I really liked.
On the other hand, there were also those sections in which style changes are more obvious, quality of the storytelling was not as high, and chapters where more attention (like pages and pages) was paid to fighting styles and weapons than the actual protagonists utilizing and wielding them. Apparently, Mongoliad and the Foreworld universe came about from a group of friends' shared interest in the study of Western Martial Arts, so that's understandable.
If that's your thing, you'll find plenty to like in this novel. If not, you'll probably go through ups and downs like me. I generally prefer a good story with ample character building. There are so many characters, and it always seemed like just when I wanted to know more, the book changes to another scene or switches perspective, leaving me hanging. There was just enough in book one to keep me intrigued and interested in picking up book two.
I have to say the serialized format and the multiple authors both facilitated and hindered my enjoyment. Not surprisingly, the novel did not always feel cohesive. There are sections of the novel that are beautifully written, paid attention to character development, etc. and those were the sections I found I really liked.
On the other hand, there were also those sections in which style changes are more obvious, quality of the storytelling was not as high, and chapters where more attention (like pages and pages) was paid to fighting styles and weapons than the actual protagonists utilizing and wielding them. Apparently, Mongoliad and the Foreworld universe came about from a group of friends' shared interest in the study of Western Martial Arts, so that's understandable.
If that's your thing, you'll find plenty to like in this novel. If not, you'll probably go through ups and downs like me. I generally prefer a good story with ample character building. There are so many characters, and it always seemed like just when I wanted to know more, the book changes to another scene or switches perspective, leaving me hanging. There was just enough in book one to keep me intrigued and interested in picking up book two.
May 30, 2012
Originally published at Reading Reality
The Mongoliad, of which Book One has just been published, is any number of things. It's the first book in something its seven creators call The Foreworld Saga--more on that later. It's also a cooperative effort with seven, count them, seven authors--but it isn't a collection of short stories. It's a novel, at least as published.
It started out as an experiment. A serial novel, published online at mongoliad.com, then the result edited down and published as a novel.
About that serial story, and the origins of the novel, and the effect it has on the book that I read. In other words, why did I go hunting for the website?
The Mongoliad, Book One, felt like it dropped me into the middle of the story. Or two stories.
The book takes place in 1241. In history, that was when Ögedei Khan, son of the famous Genghis Khan, controlled most of Asia, and had stretched his vast empire into Eastern Europe.
Not part of history was the "Circus of Swords" that draws the great Western champions to Legnica in Western Poland. There was a battle there during the Mongol invasion of Europe. But not a tournament.
The authors of The Mongoliad invented the tournament as part of their alternate history, The Foreworld Saga. They wanted to create a story-vehicle for fighters of as many different schools of Western Martial Arts as possible to get a chance to use those arts. (This idea isn't new, Tolkien initially wrote the Lord of the Rings because he invented Elvish first and wanted to create a world where it was spoken)
So, we have the "Circus of Swords". We have a group of champion fighters. What's the story? The tournament is not the story.
One part of the story turns out to be leaving the tournament on a quest to assassinate the Great Khan and save Western Europe from invasion.
The second part of the story takes place at the Great Khan (Ögedei's) court. One of Ogedei's brothers sends a young warrior, Gansukh, to court to try to convince the Khan not to drink quite so much. (According to Wikipedia, Ögedei Khan did actually drink prodigiously)
Gansukh is assigned a tutor to learn to navigate the dangerous ways of the court, because he is more used to killing his enemies with his sword than being flayed with sharp tongues. And in order to have any influence with the Khan, he will need to find a way to get close to the Khan without murdering his favorites.
So there are two stories, the Western champions working their way towards the Mongol capitol, Karakorum, in order to assassinate the Khan, and Gansukh, trying to find a way to save the Khan from his own alcoholism, and the resultant loss of respect. Also, Gansukh has to keep himself alive among the snakes at court.
These two stories are going to intersect, but not until at least Book Two!
Escape Rating C: It took half the book for the story to truly capture my interest. And half this book is 200 pages. If I hadn't been assigned this for a magazine review, I might not have finished.
Gansukh's story is the more coherent. His is a distinctive personality, and his point of view is easy to follow. Also, the "fish out of water" position he finds himself in is one that is easy to sympathize with. He wants to be back on the steppes, and the reader understands completely!
The Western champions are much harder to distinguish. There are too many, and they don't talk a lot. A lot of men who are primarily interested in fighting don't discuss their feelings or motivations a whole lot, which makes it hard to empathize. Everyone is mysterious. The point of view character is Cnán, a girl from a group known as the Binders -- whose origins and motivations the reader also doesn't know.
And is this alternate history, fantasy, or something else? The information at mongoliad.com leads one to the conclusion that it is sort of alternate history, but not yet. A cliffhanger ending is one thing, but this much outright obscurity does not inspire me to continue.
The Mongoliad, of which Book One has just been published, is any number of things. It's the first book in something its seven creators call The Foreworld Saga--more on that later. It's also a cooperative effort with seven, count them, seven authors--but it isn't a collection of short stories. It's a novel, at least as published.
It started out as an experiment. A serial novel, published online at mongoliad.com, then the result edited down and published as a novel.
About that serial story, and the origins of the novel, and the effect it has on the book that I read. In other words, why did I go hunting for the website?
The Mongoliad, Book One, felt like it dropped me into the middle of the story. Or two stories.
The book takes place in 1241. In history, that was when Ögedei Khan, son of the famous Genghis Khan, controlled most of Asia, and had stretched his vast empire into Eastern Europe.
Not part of history was the "Circus of Swords" that draws the great Western champions to Legnica in Western Poland. There was a battle there during the Mongol invasion of Europe. But not a tournament.
The authors of The Mongoliad invented the tournament as part of their alternate history, The Foreworld Saga. They wanted to create a story-vehicle for fighters of as many different schools of Western Martial Arts as possible to get a chance to use those arts. (This idea isn't new, Tolkien initially wrote the Lord of the Rings because he invented Elvish first and wanted to create a world where it was spoken)
So, we have the "Circus of Swords". We have a group of champion fighters. What's the story? The tournament is not the story.
One part of the story turns out to be leaving the tournament on a quest to assassinate the Great Khan and save Western Europe from invasion.
The second part of the story takes place at the Great Khan (Ögedei's) court. One of Ogedei's brothers sends a young warrior, Gansukh, to court to try to convince the Khan not to drink quite so much. (According to Wikipedia, Ögedei Khan did actually drink prodigiously)
Gansukh is assigned a tutor to learn to navigate the dangerous ways of the court, because he is more used to killing his enemies with his sword than being flayed with sharp tongues. And in order to have any influence with the Khan, he will need to find a way to get close to the Khan without murdering his favorites.
So there are two stories, the Western champions working their way towards the Mongol capitol, Karakorum, in order to assassinate the Khan, and Gansukh, trying to find a way to save the Khan from his own alcoholism, and the resultant loss of respect. Also, Gansukh has to keep himself alive among the snakes at court.
These two stories are going to intersect, but not until at least Book Two!
Escape Rating C: It took half the book for the story to truly capture my interest. And half this book is 200 pages. If I hadn't been assigned this for a magazine review, I might not have finished.
Gansukh's story is the more coherent. His is a distinctive personality, and his point of view is easy to follow. Also, the "fish out of water" position he finds himself in is one that is easy to sympathize with. He wants to be back on the steppes, and the reader understands completely!
The Western champions are much harder to distinguish. There are too many, and they don't talk a lot. A lot of men who are primarily interested in fighting don't discuss their feelings or motivations a whole lot, which makes it hard to empathize. Everyone is mysterious. The point of view character is Cnán, a girl from a group known as the Binders -- whose origins and motivations the reader also doesn't know.
And is this alternate history, fantasy, or something else? The information at mongoliad.com leads one to the conclusion that it is sort of alternate history, but not yet. A cliffhanger ending is one thing, but this much outright obscurity does not inspire me to continue.
December 20, 2012
There is a LOT of potential in this book. The story is interesting, and I imagine that the story is also historically informative. However, I finished the first book without having been made to care about a single one of the many characters. It's not that the characters are off-putting (except for the alcoholic khan, who manages to be both frustrating and boring at the same time). It's just one is given no reason to find them interesting, to side with them, to hope or fear for them, or even to despise them.
I suspect the problem is that this was a team writing project. The book is NOT by Neal Stephenson, but is instead by Mr. Stephenson et al. Et a ton of al., in fact. I suspect that it was more easy for them to work out their plot than it was for them to write the characters that populate that plot in a sympathetic way.
Furthermore, there was nothing of philosophical interest -- no larger point being made, no difficult theme being explored, no question being asked -- to make up for the lack of personality. Perhaps there is in the series as a whole, but the first book gives me no reason to hope.
I thought perhaps Book Two would begin to resolve the hollowness of the first book, but it was more of the same. So I gave up on it a little way in.
I suspect the problem is that this was a team writing project. The book is NOT by Neal Stephenson, but is instead by Mr. Stephenson et al. Et a ton of al., in fact. I suspect that it was more easy for them to work out their plot than it was for them to write the characters that populate that plot in a sympathetic way.
Furthermore, there was nothing of philosophical interest -- no larger point being made, no difficult theme being explored, no question being asked -- to make up for the lack of personality. Perhaps there is in the series as a whole, but the first book gives me no reason to hope.
I thought perhaps Book Two would begin to resolve the hollowness of the first book, but it was more of the same. So I gave up on it a little way in.
March 8, 2014
-Más que una novela, todo un proyecto multimedia.-
Género. Novela (ficción histórica, para ser más exactos).
Lo que nos cuenta. A mediados del siglo XIII, el Imperio Mongol está en el este de Europa y ningún ejército (ni la muerte de su líder) ha conseguido detener su expansión. Cnán es una mujer que viene de tierras lejanas con la misión de encontrar a los miembros de la Ordo Militum Vindicis Intactae con un objetivo muy ambicioso y peligroso. En la capital mongola, el Khan Ogodei no disfruta de su poder y parece tratar de ahogar sus penas en destilados de toda clase, y se pide a Gansuj, un guerrero llegado del frente, que trate de cuidar del Khan hasta donde pueda, mientras conoce en la corte a una mujer que puede enseñarle muchas cosas que desconoce. Primer libro del Ciclo Mongoliad, construido por varias novelas, relatos y novelas cortas tanto en forma de libro como en otros formatos multimedia.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Novela (ficción histórica, para ser más exactos).
Lo que nos cuenta. A mediados del siglo XIII, el Imperio Mongol está en el este de Europa y ningún ejército (ni la muerte de su líder) ha conseguido detener su expansión. Cnán es una mujer que viene de tierras lejanas con la misión de encontrar a los miembros de la Ordo Militum Vindicis Intactae con un objetivo muy ambicioso y peligroso. En la capital mongola, el Khan Ogodei no disfruta de su poder y parece tratar de ahogar sus penas en destilados de toda clase, y se pide a Gansuj, un guerrero llegado del frente, que trate de cuidar del Khan hasta donde pueda, mientras conoce en la corte a una mujer que puede enseñarle muchas cosas que desconoce. Primer libro del Ciclo Mongoliad, construido por varias novelas, relatos y novelas cortas tanto en forma de libro como en otros formatos multimedia.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
February 14, 2013
This book has about a million authors, but it doesn't read like it does. It's also got about a million viewpoint characters (well, more like eight) so I had my usual negative reaction to being dragged out of one story I loved into another one I wasn't so interested in. In general, I did like most of the plotlines, though I don't care for authors introducing new POV characters in the middle or even near the end of a book; it feels like it dilutes the story. On the other hand, one of those new POV characters became one of my favorites, so I'm not exactly being consistent. There's a lot going on here, and complicated fiction always has a chance of complicating itself right out of a reader's interest, but I think it succeeds as a whole.
This is a book about war--that's really its most notable characteristic. The authors are all, as far as I can tell, interested in medieval warfare and weaponry, and if you care about that, you're going to love this book. (There's a fight scene that goes on for THREE scene changes.) It's a world-spanning book, so you get martial techniques from Vikings and Franks and Mongols and even a lost Japanese warrior. The combinations make for some very interesting fight scenes. Despite all this, the authors haven't lost sight of characterization, and manage to keep their characters distinct and interesting. I'm particularly fond of the Mongol tribesman sent to keep the Khan from drinking himself to death. Now there's a thankless job for you. Kudos to whoever keeps the team's writing styles uniform, and I'm looking forward to the next volume.
This is a book about war--that's really its most notable characteristic. The authors are all, as far as I can tell, interested in medieval warfare and weaponry, and if you care about that, you're going to love this book. (There's a fight scene that goes on for THREE scene changes.) It's a world-spanning book, so you get martial techniques from Vikings and Franks and Mongols and even a lost Japanese warrior. The combinations make for some very interesting fight scenes. Despite all this, the authors haven't lost sight of characterization, and manage to keep their characters distinct and interesting. I'm particularly fond of the Mongol tribesman sent to keep the Khan from drinking himself to death. Now there's a thankless job for you. Kudos to whoever keeps the team's writing styles uniform, and I'm looking forward to the next volume.
June 1, 2012
I am a huge neal stephenson fan, and I've noticed that his work is usually composed of swashbuckling and ideas, in some combination (his favorite ideas to explore seem to be language, currency, globalisation, and homosexual mathematicians). Basically all of his books are like action action action lengthy exposition action action END. His best work has an even mixture and pacing of these two elements. I was a little miffed that reamde was like 90% swashbuckling, but mongoliad was much worse. Not only is it totally lacking in that weird play of ideas he does so well, the ACTION isn't even that compelling. It reads like a D&D campaign adapted to novel form. There's a huge amount of detail given to the nuts and bolts of the combat, which I found a little incomprehensibly technical (like Hard scifi, but with swords instead of ray guns).
The best thing I can say about it was that the setting was interesting. I usually read historical fiction with 1 eye on the relevant wikipedia entries, which in this case made for some interesting broadening of my historical horizons.
I dunno. Props for trying something new, and I don't doubt that the larger foreworld project will be a huge amount of fun for its participants and a mild source of entertainment for the readers. I'm sure I will end up reading all of it, out of some misplaced loyalty to one of my favorite authors, who is going through a bit of a self-indulgent phase.
The best thing I can say about it was that the setting was interesting. I usually read historical fiction with 1 eye on the relevant wikipedia entries, which in this case made for some interesting broadening of my historical horizons.
I dunno. Props for trying something new, and I don't doubt that the larger foreworld project will be a huge amount of fun for its participants and a mild source of entertainment for the readers. I'm sure I will end up reading all of it, out of some misplaced loyalty to one of my favorite authors, who is going through a bit of a self-indulgent phase.
May 24, 2012
Una entretenida novela de aventuras durante la invasión de Europa por los Mongoles. Hay tres arcos argumentales, un grupo de caballeros se dirige a Karakorum para asesinar al Khan y hacer retroceder a los ejercitos Mongoles (en plan doce del patíbulo), mientras otros quedan atrás, en una especie de circo, donde pelean con distintos adversarios en combates singulares para divertir el jefe del ejercito Mongol (aquí se centran en las técnicas de lucha antiguas), y por último una visión de la capital mongola y la política de la corte por un joven guerrero, con sus conspiraciones, etc..
Es una primera parte que no finaliza ninguna de las tramas abiertas.
Es una primera parte que no finaliza ninguna de las tramas abiertas.
January 5, 2018
Ben beğendim. Bence yorumlarda söylendiği kadar kötü değildi.
June 17, 2012
This was great! Not as dense as your typical Stephenson, but with the fantastic range and scope and depth.
I was a little concerned about this, given it's a collaborative work written by a bunch of fantasy authors after they created a club for playing with ancient weapons. And true, there is a lot of fighting in this book, but it's actually pretty compelling - it turns out that when a fight is described analytically and tactically by people who know what they're talking about, it comes across almost like dialogue. The characters are well-drawn and surprisingly easy to distinguish given there are about twelve of them travelling in a pack at any given time, and the story reaches from western-ish Europe to the edge of China.
Sometimes authors collaborate and it feels like they switched off every other chapter, or one person's characters are populating another's universe. I don't know if it's the bashing each other with quarterstaffs for years that did it, but there aren't any barriers that come through in this book. I love Stephenson's attention to detail, but here it's leavened in a way that... I don't want to say it's an improvement, but sometimes I can get worn out by Stephenson's exhaustive dives into information. About 10% of those dives, I find myself having to take a break, either because I have to worry at an idea in my mind or I am just experiencing information overload. In this collaboration, that 10% is gone. What I'm trying to say is that the informational dives still exist in Mongoliad, they're just more accessible. It's a delight to read, and I'm really tired today because I stayed up until 4am to finish it. It's fascinating and fun.
Knocking a star off ONLY out of pique that it's a cliffhanger ending. Can't wait for the next!
I was a little concerned about this, given it's a collaborative work written by a bunch of fantasy authors after they created a club for playing with ancient weapons. And true, there is a lot of fighting in this book, but it's actually pretty compelling - it turns out that when a fight is described analytically and tactically by people who know what they're talking about, it comes across almost like dialogue. The characters are well-drawn and surprisingly easy to distinguish given there are about twelve of them travelling in a pack at any given time, and the story reaches from western-ish Europe to the edge of China.
Sometimes authors collaborate and it feels like they switched off every other chapter, or one person's characters are populating another's universe. I don't know if it's the bashing each other with quarterstaffs for years that did it, but there aren't any barriers that come through in this book. I love Stephenson's attention to detail, but here it's leavened in a way that... I don't want to say it's an improvement, but sometimes I can get worn out by Stephenson's exhaustive dives into information. About 10% of those dives, I find myself having to take a break, either because I have to worry at an idea in my mind or I am just experiencing information overload. In this collaboration, that 10% is gone. What I'm trying to say is that the informational dives still exist in Mongoliad, they're just more accessible. It's a delight to read, and I'm really tired today because I stayed up until 4am to finish it. It's fascinating and fun.
Knocking a star off ONLY out of pique that it's a cliffhanger ending. Can't wait for the next!
April 2, 2013
I enjoyed reading this first book of a three book series. The book was free from Amazon, and there are two more books in the series. The book was written by several authors with complementary writing styles. The mechanics of writing were good.
A group of warrior monks are on their way to kill the Khan. A Mongolian warrior has been sent to the Khan's court to keep the Khan from drinking himself to death. A female is guiding the monks to the Khan, and a female slave is at Court teaching the Mongolian warrior courtly ways. Each person in these two groups has a mission of his own, but their missions are complementary. The book ends before any missions resolutions are completed.
There were several good reviews about this book. I suggest they be read. If I had not already read some history of the Mongol nation, the Crusades, holy wars, and more, I might have gotten confused and mad at the book. Some other reviewers suggested reading a little history before starting this series.
Thank you, dear authors, for a very good read.
A group of warrior monks are on their way to kill the Khan. A Mongolian warrior has been sent to the Khan's court to keep the Khan from drinking himself to death. A female is guiding the monks to the Khan, and a female slave is at Court teaching the Mongolian warrior courtly ways. Each person in these two groups has a mission of his own, but their missions are complementary. The book ends before any missions resolutions are completed.
There were several good reviews about this book. I suggest they be read. If I had not already read some history of the Mongol nation, the Crusades, holy wars, and more, I might have gotten confused and mad at the book. Some other reviewers suggested reading a little history before starting this series.
Thank you, dear authors, for a very good read.
October 2, 2012
Even though this book was written by a committee of writers I found the subject matter interesting and the story line tight. Characters are well developed, widely varied, and interesting. The book just ends and I already have Book two on my shelf to read after I read a couple of others. Greg Bear and Neal Stephenson attracted me to this series.
Not science fiction, but more historical adventures
Not science fiction, but more historical adventures
January 16, 2013
This alternate history is good, and suddenly you find yourself caring about the characters, many of whom seem to blend for a while.
The book is most quest as some knights travel to save thier world from the Mongol horde. The Mongols have thier own problems. The reader finds herself in the position of rooting for both sides.
The book is more action based than character based, and seems more movie like in this regard. Still enjoyable.
The book is most quest as some knights travel to save thier world from the Mongol horde. The Mongols have thier own problems. The reader finds herself in the position of rooting for both sides.
The book is more action based than character based, and seems more movie like in this regard. Still enjoyable.
June 4, 2013
Audiobook from Brilliance Audio
Narrated by Luke Daniels
Length: 13.25 hours
Note: I received this audiobook as a complete package with a prequel, Sinner, included. This review only covers The Mongoliad: Book One, as I reviewed Sinner: A Prequel to the Mongoliad separately.
The Mongoliad: Book One is a different sort of book. It pretty much violated all of my typical "rules" for a book, and I still find myself wanting to read on, to find out what happens in The Mongoliad: Book Two. I'm not sure the book is really a 3-star book, but I think it's unfair to rate a book 2 stars but say that I want to know what happens next.
For those who don't know, "The Mongoliad" was a bit of a "multimedia experiment" started by Neal Stephenson and some of his science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction friends. The end product, the volumes in the main story as well as the side stories, was a collaborative effort by Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Mark Teppo, and others. Originally published on the web (though the site seems to be more or less inactive now, with the authors stating that the published works are the preferred versions), it was originally intended to be a joining of authors and various media types for different forms of story-telling. Though it seems to often be sold/pitched as a fantasy novel, the story is much more historical fiction with some fantastical elements than pure fantasy. While that may frustrate some, it was just fine for me; I loved The Baroque Cycle, after all. The story weaves fictional tales using actual events from the Mongol invasion of Europe.
The Mongoliad: Book One is comprised with a few parallel story lines. Set in the Middle Ages, the two primary story lines are that of a group of knights on a quest (including Raphael, who we met in Sinner: A Prequel to the Mongoliad) and that of an adviser/guard to a Mongol Kahn. Through these "main" story lines, there are some side-stories in the novel, including some flashbacks as well as a plotline surrounding some of the brother-knights who are not on the quest but are left to keep the Mongol invaders "occupied" (including Andreas, who we also met in Sinner: A Prequel to the Mongoliad). The fact that I'm describing this so poorly is a testament to the first major issue I had with the book, an issue that is probably only an issue with the audio version: there are a lot of names, and a lot of names that sound the same...so it can be extremely confusing to keep them all straight when listening. The second major issue I have with the book is related, that because the stories go back and forth, it can be easy to get confused as to who is who when switching between stories, especially if it's been a day (or more) since last listening. Luke Daniels, the narrator, did a good job with using different voices for each of the characters. But if you couldn't remember which one was the adviser and which was the slave, then the voices didn't help much. One other note on the narration: Luke Daniels is a good narrator, one who adds to the story without adding so much that it's distracting. That said, in addition to the confusing names, there are also flashbacks and stuff in the story, and it was hard to figure out when the story was a flashback and when it was just moving on. I suspect a print edition may have been more obvious.
While I'm on the topic of "confusing characters," another major issue I had with the book was that it felt like it was in desperate need of an editor. This may be a factor of "too many cooks in the kitchen" or maybe it was just the contribution from each author wanting to ensure the setup for the other authors was clear...or maybe it just needed more editing. It's not the first of Neal Stephenson's books I've said this about (*cough* Anathem *cough* Reamde *cough*). Interesting plot-relevant sections would be bogged down with--or worse, broken up by--seemingly interminable character- and world-building sections. I don't mind world- and character-building, but I felt like it could have been done much more organically than it was done in this book. Here, it was either story or it was non-story world/character setup. It would have been much more fulfilling to learn about a feature in a town by seeing a character interact with it instead of a half chapter describing the looks of the buildings. Also, this was a book heavy on battle descriptions...descriptions that didn't really matter to the overall plot/story arc except to say "the good guys won" or "the bad guys were defeated, but not without good guy casualties."
This leads me to the final major issue I had with the book: it didn't end so much as stop. Not only does it end in the middle of a fairly interesting scene, but none of the story lines are wrapped up; they are all left hanging. I hope that before I go onto The Mongoliad: Book Two, I can find a good synopsis online or a cheat-sheet to remind me of who was who and what happened, since I'm going to be listening to a (very different) book before I move onto the next book...and that's the funny thing. I'm definitely going to listen to the next book (and probably the third book). I like the characters. I want to see if the knights will be able to complete their quest (if true history is any guide, I suspect they will), and how some of the side-quests turn out. I care about the adviser to the Kahn; he doesn't seem like a bad guy, even if the guy he's serving isn't a great leader. I would like to see how some of the mystical/spiritual elements play out in the actual story. So, despite my significant frustrations, possibly because I do really like historical fiction, I'm going to continue with the series. I'm not sure this book is for everyone. I'm not sure that audiobook is the best way to consume the books. But despite its flaws, I actually want to know what happens next, so onward I go...
Narrated by Luke Daniels
Length: 13.25 hours
Note: I received this audiobook as a complete package with a prequel, Sinner, included. This review only covers The Mongoliad: Book One, as I reviewed Sinner: A Prequel to the Mongoliad separately.
The Mongoliad: Book One is a different sort of book. It pretty much violated all of my typical "rules" for a book, and I still find myself wanting to read on, to find out what happens in The Mongoliad: Book Two. I'm not sure the book is really a 3-star book, but I think it's unfair to rate a book 2 stars but say that I want to know what happens next.
For those who don't know, "The Mongoliad" was a bit of a "multimedia experiment" started by Neal Stephenson and some of his science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction friends. The end product, the volumes in the main story as well as the side stories, was a collaborative effort by Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Mark Teppo, and others. Originally published on the web (though the site seems to be more or less inactive now, with the authors stating that the published works are the preferred versions), it was originally intended to be a joining of authors and various media types for different forms of story-telling. Though it seems to often be sold/pitched as a fantasy novel, the story is much more historical fiction with some fantastical elements than pure fantasy. While that may frustrate some, it was just fine for me; I loved The Baroque Cycle, after all. The story weaves fictional tales using actual events from the Mongol invasion of Europe.
The Mongoliad: Book One is comprised with a few parallel story lines. Set in the Middle Ages, the two primary story lines are that of a group of knights on a quest (including Raphael, who we met in Sinner: A Prequel to the Mongoliad) and that of an adviser/guard to a Mongol Kahn. Through these "main" story lines, there are some side-stories in the novel, including some flashbacks as well as a plotline surrounding some of the brother-knights who are not on the quest but are left to keep the Mongol invaders "occupied" (including Andreas, who we also met in Sinner: A Prequel to the Mongoliad). The fact that I'm describing this so poorly is a testament to the first major issue I had with the book, an issue that is probably only an issue with the audio version: there are a lot of names, and a lot of names that sound the same...so it can be extremely confusing to keep them all straight when listening. The second major issue I have with the book is related, that because the stories go back and forth, it can be easy to get confused as to who is who when switching between stories, especially if it's been a day (or more) since last listening. Luke Daniels, the narrator, did a good job with using different voices for each of the characters. But if you couldn't remember which one was the adviser and which was the slave, then the voices didn't help much. One other note on the narration: Luke Daniels is a good narrator, one who adds to the story without adding so much that it's distracting. That said, in addition to the confusing names, there are also flashbacks and stuff in the story, and it was hard to figure out when the story was a flashback and when it was just moving on. I suspect a print edition may have been more obvious.
While I'm on the topic of "confusing characters," another major issue I had with the book was that it felt like it was in desperate need of an editor. This may be a factor of "too many cooks in the kitchen" or maybe it was just the contribution from each author wanting to ensure the setup for the other authors was clear...or maybe it just needed more editing. It's not the first of Neal Stephenson's books I've said this about (*cough* Anathem *cough* Reamde *cough*). Interesting plot-relevant sections would be bogged down with--or worse, broken up by--seemingly interminable character- and world-building sections. I don't mind world- and character-building, but I felt like it could have been done much more organically than it was done in this book. Here, it was either story or it was non-story world/character setup. It would have been much more fulfilling to learn about a feature in a town by seeing a character interact with it instead of a half chapter describing the looks of the buildings. Also, this was a book heavy on battle descriptions...descriptions that didn't really matter to the overall plot/story arc except to say "the good guys won" or "the bad guys were defeated, but not without good guy casualties."
This leads me to the final major issue I had with the book: it didn't end so much as stop. Not only does it end in the middle of a fairly interesting scene, but none of the story lines are wrapped up; they are all left hanging. I hope that before I go onto The Mongoliad: Book Two, I can find a good synopsis online or a cheat-sheet to remind me of who was who and what happened, since I'm going to be listening to a (very different) book before I move onto the next book...and that's the funny thing. I'm definitely going to listen to the next book (and probably the third book). I like the characters. I want to see if the knights will be able to complete their quest (if true history is any guide, I suspect they will), and how some of the side-quests turn out. I care about the adviser to the Kahn; he doesn't seem like a bad guy, even if the guy he's serving isn't a great leader. I would like to see how some of the mystical/spiritual elements play out in the actual story. So, despite my significant frustrations, possibly because I do really like historical fiction, I'm going to continue with the series. I'm not sure this book is for everyone. I'm not sure that audiobook is the best way to consume the books. But despite its flaws, I actually want to know what happens next, so onward I go...
December 25, 2018
The Mongoliad
is a book written by geeks.
For geeks.
Geeks like me.
Seven people came together and created this monstrous book fit for someone with a particular interest or obsession with history, weapons, and warfare. With a generously unhealthful portion of unique and compulsively likable characters on both sides of the battlefield with their own equally important agendas and now I'm in trouble because I'm rooting for characters on both sides and this isn't going to end well for my heart.
When I called this book monstrous, I didn't mean the size. The content is not for the faint at heart and the reading grade is considerably higher than average and figuratively throws the reader straight into it with only a mild introductory period to acclimatize to the shock of a thick plot and a ruthless writing style.
The battle scenes are as visibly realistic as the rest of the book, which is commendable in itself because imagining early 12th century anything with as much realism and finesse that this book holds is a work of art.
It’s rare to find a book as finely crafted, clever, brilliantly plotted, unrelentingly suspenseful, and richly atmospheric as this one, but I'll be the first to admit that it is not for everyone.
The Mongoliad requires a defining mania to fuel through it.
For geeks.
Geeks like me.
Seven people came together and created this monstrous book fit for someone with a particular interest or obsession with history, weapons, and warfare. With a generously unhealthful portion of unique and compulsively likable characters on both sides of the battlefield with their own equally important agendas and now I'm in trouble because I'm rooting for characters on both sides and this isn't going to end well for my heart.
When I called this book monstrous, I didn't mean the size. The content is not for the faint at heart and the reading grade is considerably higher than average and figuratively throws the reader straight into it with only a mild introductory period to acclimatize to the shock of a thick plot and a ruthless writing style.
The battle scenes are as visibly realistic as the rest of the book, which is commendable in itself because imagining early 12th century anything with as much realism and finesse that this book holds is a work of art.
It’s rare to find a book as finely crafted, clever, brilliantly plotted, unrelentingly suspenseful, and richly atmospheric as this one, but I'll be the first to admit that it is not for everyone.
The Mongoliad requires a defining mania to fuel through it.
May 4, 2012
The Mongoliad: Book One, written by seven authors altogether, depicts an adventure set in the 13th century about war and the devastation laid to the world by the Mongolians. A band of orderly knights and monks set out on a quest to rid the evil that has brought so much destruction to so many people. Their journey is sure to be labeled as foolish since the odds are clearly against them but it seems that they have no choice. I admit that I know absolutely nothing about Genghis Khan as a brutal conqueror and so I was surprised to see that this book actually talks about him, or rather, his sons. I thought it was made believe but upon a little searching on Wikipedia, it turns out that these characters actually did exist during that time. This was fairly interesting to me since I love to read about history but as for the story itself, The Mongoliad could have been more interesting. While the first book does make for a pretty decent introduction of characters and whatnot, it doesn't do much to make me want to read the next book in the series.
The Mongoliad has several story arcs that tie in altogether and so you'll be presented with a dozen or so characters. Some of them are fairly interesting but many of them just aren't that fun to read about. When this happens, you tend to not care about the characters overall and whether they live or die in the story. One major group consists of Cnan, Percival, Feronanthus, Roger, Finn, Istvan and a whole bunch of other characters that could be considered the main characters in the group, especially with Cnan. The authors do a pretty poor job of describing the physical traits of these characters and so throughout the book, you'll have a hard time painting a face to the name in your head. Cnan is known as a Binder but just exactly what a Binder is isn't described enough. I got away that a Binder is a messenger of some sort. The other characters seem to be either knights, monks or of a physician type. The problem is that not much back history is told for these other characters and so again, you can't really relate to them too much. In the second group, you have what I term the Karakorum group of Gansukh, Lian, Chucai, and Ogedei. The authors seem to have put more effort and time into building these characters, especially with Gansukh.
With a total of seven different writers contributing to the project, you would think the book would be one jumble pile of mess. Surprisingly, the authors did a very good job of writing the book so that you don't really notice the fact that so many authors were in on the project. The bad news is that the authors sometimes write in a way that they assume you already know all the historical jargons of the past. Remember, this book takes place in the 13th century and so you wouldn't know what exactly a "ger" is or who the god/goddess called the "Blue Wolf" is. Luckily, some jargon does get explained further along but I wouldn't be holding my breath. As far as location details go, this area isn't exactly clear as well. We get hints here and there but it can get quite puzzling sometimes. Luckily, these pieces of information aren't really necessary to enjoy the overall story of the The Mongoliad which is pretty simple overall. I just wish some these things would be corrected in the second book of the series. I will admit that the book flowed pretty nicely from chapter to chapter, although there were times when I felt dreaded to read about Cnan's group (each chapter alternates between different character groups/set).
As far as action goes, there are a couple of these set pieces throughout the book. However, I sort of expected more grand scale battles. There is one fight scene that literally spans a couple of chapter and seemed to me dragging and majorly overdone. I will also say that I sometimes had a hard time picturing the fight choreography in my head. Its not that the authors were being complicated but for some odd reason, I had a hard time concentrating on some fight scenes.
The ending to The Mongoliad: Book One was the most disappointing. Being how this is the first book in the series, I expect the author to at least leave a decent cliffhanger ending so that readers can't wait for the next one. However, things just abruptly ends! Many questions were not answered and if this is what the authors idea to be of a "cliffhanger" to hold readers over until the next book releases, then I do not agree with them at all. I will conclude that this series has potential for me to see it to the end and although the first book in the series have some flaws, I believe it deserves a second chance and so I will judge the series more accordingly once I've read the second book.
The Mongoliad has several story arcs that tie in altogether and so you'll be presented with a dozen or so characters. Some of them are fairly interesting but many of them just aren't that fun to read about. When this happens, you tend to not care about the characters overall and whether they live or die in the story. One major group consists of Cnan, Percival, Feronanthus, Roger, Finn, Istvan and a whole bunch of other characters that could be considered the main characters in the group, especially with Cnan. The authors do a pretty poor job of describing the physical traits of these characters and so throughout the book, you'll have a hard time painting a face to the name in your head. Cnan is known as a Binder but just exactly what a Binder is isn't described enough. I got away that a Binder is a messenger of some sort. The other characters seem to be either knights, monks or of a physician type. The problem is that not much back history is told for these other characters and so again, you can't really relate to them too much. In the second group, you have what I term the Karakorum group of Gansukh, Lian, Chucai, and Ogedei. The authors seem to have put more effort and time into building these characters, especially with Gansukh.
With a total of seven different writers contributing to the project, you would think the book would be one jumble pile of mess. Surprisingly, the authors did a very good job of writing the book so that you don't really notice the fact that so many authors were in on the project. The bad news is that the authors sometimes write in a way that they assume you already know all the historical jargons of the past. Remember, this book takes place in the 13th century and so you wouldn't know what exactly a "ger" is or who the god/goddess called the "Blue Wolf" is. Luckily, some jargon does get explained further along but I wouldn't be holding my breath. As far as location details go, this area isn't exactly clear as well. We get hints here and there but it can get quite puzzling sometimes. Luckily, these pieces of information aren't really necessary to enjoy the overall story of the The Mongoliad which is pretty simple overall. I just wish some these things would be corrected in the second book of the series. I will admit that the book flowed pretty nicely from chapter to chapter, although there were times when I felt dreaded to read about Cnan's group (each chapter alternates between different character groups/set).
As far as action goes, there are a couple of these set pieces throughout the book. However, I sort of expected more grand scale battles. There is one fight scene that literally spans a couple of chapter and seemed to me dragging and majorly overdone. I will also say that I sometimes had a hard time picturing the fight choreography in my head. Its not that the authors were being complicated but for some odd reason, I had a hard time concentrating on some fight scenes.
The ending to The Mongoliad: Book One was the most disappointing. Being how this is the first book in the series, I expect the author to at least leave a decent cliffhanger ending so that readers can't wait for the next one. However, things just abruptly ends! Many questions were not answered and if this is what the authors idea to be of a "cliffhanger" to hold readers over until the next book releases, then I do not agree with them at all. I will conclude that this series has potential for me to see it to the end and although the first book in the series have some flaws, I believe it deserves a second chance and so I will judge the series more accordingly once I've read the second book.
June 26, 2012
I was a little leery of this work. When I first learned of it via the CLANG Kickstarter project I thought it odd that a number of authors were credited with writing this one story. Having been in a kitchen with too many cooks I expected disaster at worst, bland disconnected rambling at best. I'm happy to say I was disappointed in my expectations.
That's not to say that I was overjoyed with the work itself.
I'm a big fan of Neal Stephenson, have read most if not all of his work, and know to expect grand ideas expressed through intricate story lines based on thoroughly researched background. I don't know most of the other authors and so wondered how they would all work on a story with one voice.
I don't know the actual mechanism they used to achieve cohesion but they succeeded. I never really noticed any roughness in the narrative, no glaring holes in the plot, no surprise character appearances or disappearances necessitated by poorly thought out developments. It all worked. Things developed as they should without the hand of god interceding.
Still, there was an itch I just couldn't scratch.
Maybe it's that part of my mind was running a constant subroutine looking for trouble, that expected less-then-full-on-Stephenson. Maybe I was being too harsh without being conscious of it. Whatever it was, I came away a little disappointed.
The characters were a little "less" than I am accustomed to. Not that Stephenson's characters are all overblown but they almost all are very distinct, very strong, and that seemed to be dimmed somehow.
I also missed the sly humor with which Stephenson usually salts his work. It showed up occasionally but it wasn't as present as I would have liked.
So, if this is the way I feel about the book, why a "4-star" rating?
Well, it's a good read.
The characters are well drawn, the story sufficiently intricate, the geographical sprawl immense (as it should be when dealing with the Mongol Empire still a-building), details of place, time, and culture were pleasing. I wish I could have given a partial "star," say 3.75, but I can't.
Even though the first volume ended in a way that left me with an urge to say, "meh," I look forward to the 2nd volume due out in September. Who knows? Maybe my pesky mental subroutine will stop running and I'll find the story more engaging.
That's not to say that I was overjoyed with the work itself.
I'm a big fan of Neal Stephenson, have read most if not all of his work, and know to expect grand ideas expressed through intricate story lines based on thoroughly researched background. I don't know most of the other authors and so wondered how they would all work on a story with one voice.
I don't know the actual mechanism they used to achieve cohesion but they succeeded. I never really noticed any roughness in the narrative, no glaring holes in the plot, no surprise character appearances or disappearances necessitated by poorly thought out developments. It all worked. Things developed as they should without the hand of god interceding.
Still, there was an itch I just couldn't scratch.
Maybe it's that part of my mind was running a constant subroutine looking for trouble, that expected less-then-full-on-Stephenson. Maybe I was being too harsh without being conscious of it. Whatever it was, I came away a little disappointed.
The characters were a little "less" than I am accustomed to. Not that Stephenson's characters are all overblown but they almost all are very distinct, very strong, and that seemed to be dimmed somehow.
I also missed the sly humor with which Stephenson usually salts his work. It showed up occasionally but it wasn't as present as I would have liked.
So, if this is the way I feel about the book, why a "4-star" rating?
Well, it's a good read.
The characters are well drawn, the story sufficiently intricate, the geographical sprawl immense (as it should be when dealing with the Mongol Empire still a-building), details of place, time, and culture were pleasing. I wish I could have given a partial "star," say 3.75, but I can't.
Even though the first volume ended in a way that left me with an urge to say, "meh," I look forward to the 2nd volume due out in September. Who knows? Maybe my pesky mental subroutine will stop running and I'll find the story more engaging.
April 29, 2012
Because I’m a nerd (Space/Technology geek with a high-ish Klout.com score) I got an “advanced readers copy – uncorrected proof” version of the novel last week.
I wolfed it down. I started and finished ‘The Mongoliad’ this weekend – and ignored the ‘to-do’ list that was supposed to happen on Saturday/Sunday. It’s a simple read, and straightforward plot. Some characters expand over time and evolve a little. The pacing is good and the fight scenes are graphic and detailed.
Honestly, this is not the typical book for me. But I like Bear and Stephenson a lot, and was excited to be one of the first readers of this trilogy. I do like the “1631” series by Eric Flint, so I figured this alternate reality historical fiction would be interesting. It was. I’ve often wondered what might have happened if the Mongol’s had continued to expand. A couple years ago Kim Stanley Robinson tackled that question, too. But Stephenson and his team imagine the problem from a different perspective. I’d say they’ve done a nice job and they’ve left room for dozens of stories in this universe.
I was frustrated with the end – clearly the authors were aiming for a cliff-hanger, but this was downright cruel. I’m looking forward to the next two books.
I assume this will be corrected with the final release, but there were still many many typo’s in my copy.
I wolfed it down. I started and finished ‘The Mongoliad’ this weekend – and ignored the ‘to-do’ list that was supposed to happen on Saturday/Sunday. It’s a simple read, and straightforward plot. Some characters expand over time and evolve a little. The pacing is good and the fight scenes are graphic and detailed.
Honestly, this is not the typical book for me. But I like Bear and Stephenson a lot, and was excited to be one of the first readers of this trilogy. I do like the “1631” series by Eric Flint, so I figured this alternate reality historical fiction would be interesting. It was. I’ve often wondered what might have happened if the Mongol’s had continued to expand. A couple years ago Kim Stanley Robinson tackled that question, too. But Stephenson and his team imagine the problem from a different perspective. I’d say they’ve done a nice job and they’ve left room for dozens of stories in this universe.
I was frustrated with the end – clearly the authors were aiming for a cliff-hanger, but this was downright cruel. I’m looking forward to the next two books.
I assume this will be corrected with the final release, but there were still many many typo’s in my copy.
May 13, 2012
Korean cinema intrigues me. The nuances of dialogue invariably are lost in subtitles, but the tricks inflicted on convention seldom fail to impress me. Take The Chaser or The Host; it is doubtful that most are not perplexed by these ruminations on genre, the psychological thriller and monster film, respectively. My wife often questions some of these cinematic explorations. I don't offer a more sturdy answer than, I like them, it is fun.
It was with a likewise loose spirit that I pursued the ensemble writing project behind Mongoliad. I had encountered Wu Ming a few years back and I have held reservations about the discord of ensemble writing. I shouldn't have feared that here. It is a coterie of lads discussing swords and saddles. It isn't literary. I don't believe it evens dreams of such. It yielded a big meh as I turned the cliffhanging final page: who cares?
I would probably extend it 2.5 stars if possible.
It was with a likewise loose spirit that I pursued the ensemble writing project behind Mongoliad. I had encountered Wu Ming a few years back and I have held reservations about the discord of ensemble writing. I shouldn't have feared that here. It is a coterie of lads discussing swords and saddles. It isn't literary. I don't believe it evens dreams of such. It yielded a big meh as I turned the cliffhanging final page: who cares?
I would probably extend it 2.5 stars if possible.
May 21, 2012
I gave this three stars before I actually finished it, because I wasn't going to be on the computer for the weekend & I wanted to cheat at Goodreads. I admit it. Then I read the ridiculous cliffhanger ending - here's the thing. I didn't really care about any of these characters, I don't plan on reading the second book in this series, & this was one of those things that I just trolled through because I hate to be a quitter. The ending still made me mad. Melodramatic cliffhangers leading into second books which aren't even scheduled for publication for over a year - worst literary trend ever. Worse by far than the sequel itself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2012
I would have enjoyed this book much more if I had not come to it expecting a Neal Stephenson book. It has none of Stephenson's gonzo over-the-top-ness, nor his didacticism; none of his manic rambles, twenty-page asides, or enormous math-based research dumps. It has precious little of his trademark humor and gleeful geekery. In fact, the only real Stephenson trademark in evidence here is an abundance of hypercompetent badasses doing their thing - here it's alchemists and swordfighters rather than hackers or codebreakers, but it's very much the same feel.
However, those complaints aside, this was still a fun story, full of action, and I'll probably read the next book in the series.
However, those complaints aside, this was still a fun story, full of action, and I'll probably read the next book in the series.
November 23, 2015
Karakterlerin tamamı gayet karikatür tipler. Tip yaratırken ne kadar bilindik klişe varsa kullanalım demişler. Mesela Japon karakter koyacak romana gidiyor bildiğin Sanjuro'yu yapıştırıyor oraya, etrafına göz gezdirip o an gördüğü herhangi bir şeyi kendi ismiymiş gibi söylüyor bizim romanın tek japon karakteri. Velhasıl diğer iki cilde devam edesim pek yok.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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